Foot Relief for Pregnancy

Nothing could sound sweeter to a pregnant person’s ears than the words, “foot massage”.

And with good reason! There’s a lot going on in the body during pregnancy that puts extra pressure on our poor little feet.

Now before we get to the good stuff, and I do promise it is going to feel amazing, let’s quickly look at the a few reasons your feet might be causing your some discomfort.

Change to our alignment

As I stated above, carrying extra weight out in front of us tends to pull our body into a slight forward shift. This is that classic pregnancy posture that creates strain and compression in our lower back and because of that shift forward our ankles get very stiff and the front of our foot becomes over loaded. This is one of the contributing factors to plantar fasciitis, which is a common annoyance during pregnancy.

Increased blood volume and body fluids

Your blood volume increases by 50% in order to deliver oxygen to you and your babe. Because of hormones created during pregnancy, the walls of your veins soften and may lead to more congestion and swelling in certain areas including your feet and legs.

Challenges with circulation

Due to that extra blood flowing around, your body has to work harder to disperse it and with a lot of attention going toward the growth and nourishment of your baby, your feet may not get all the good stuff it needs. Plus with our more sedentary lifestyle, our circulation can be compromised. Taking movement and walking breaks throughout the day can help get the blood moving as well as putting your feet up on a stool or taking some time to enjoy a restorative pose like Legs up the Wall.

All that to say that your poor little feet need some extra love during pregnancy. And I’ve got the just what you need. These 3 movements will help bring mobility to your ankle and relief to the muscles of your feet.

Enjoy and let me know which one feels the best for you!